A "professional hacker" raises his biggest fears about the dark web

A seasoned hacker has revealed what's really on the dark web - where hackers, killers and drug dealers proliferate.

The source, who spoke anonymously, explained how hackers use ransomware to steal data in exchange for large payments or "to see the world burn" and explained that any system connected to the web is at risk of attack.

"I've seen hospitals get encrypted and people are left with a choice: do I pay to decrypt the data or risk my life?" said the man, wearing a mask to hide his identity.

The dark web is a place where activity cannot be traced. A recent report found that the most popular content is child pornography, followed by guns and drugs.

While the hacker did not address those illegal activities, he was concerned "about the significant impacts [the ransomware will have] on financial markets or potential impacts on things like electricity production facilities."

Philip Ingram, a retired colonel in the UK's military intelligence, said last year: "The dark web is increasingly being used by dangerous and organized criminals for a variety of purposes. They look for vulnerabilities in children when setting them up for things like running drugs along county lines." For exploitation in child sexual exploitation gangs or recruitment by terrorist and extremist groups.

Some platforms provide access to the dark web, including i2p, FreeNet, and Tor.

Tor - short for The Onion Router - is a massive array of encrypted websites that allow users to surf the Internet every day in complete anonymity.

It uses many layers of security and encryption to keep users anonymous on the Internet.

One study estimated that there are about 2.6 million Tor users per day.

"The same study found that with a single data capture, around 80% of the traffic was directed to services that offered illegal pornography, imagery of abuse, and/or child sexual abuse material," researchers from the Australian National University wrote in The Conversation. . 

The hacker was interviewed by Vice in 2021, but the video has recently surfaced again as a reminder of the existence of a dark world of people whose only goal is to cause havoc using the internet.

The man started his hacking career with a black hat, a type of law-abiding cybercriminal who carries out attacks for their own purposes.

Since then, he's turned over a new leaf and has become a white hat, using his skills for good, tracking down online criminals and looking for vulnerabilities in systems to fix - not exploit.

“If I wanted access to a secure company, I wouldn’t go break the door,” he said at the start of the interview. “I would target people I know who have access, who I know bring personal devices into a building or do things next to sensitive things, and then I’ll work my way in.”

Joseph Pope wrote the first ransomware attack in 1989, used to target the healthcare industry. The attack, dubbed the AIDS Trojan, was carried out by Bob who distributed 20,000 infected tablets to attendees at the WHO conference on AIDS.

The discs were named "AIDS Information - Introductory Tablets".

When the floppy disk was downloaded to a computer, a large image appeared on the screen reading the program that would negatively affect other software applications. You will owe compensation and potential damages to PC Cyborg Corporation and your mini computer will cease to function normally.

The program will count the number of times the computer has been booted and once it reaches 90, it will hide directories and encrypt or lock file names on your C drive.

To regain access, users had to send $189 to PC Cyborg Corporation at a post office box in Panama.

Ransomware has since evolved into a hacker that doesn't need to leave their home - everything can be done on the dark web.

The hacker told Vice: "In the old days, for a country to disrupt a country as big as the United States, you would need millions and millions of dollars worth of investments to do something. Today, you only need a few thousand dollars, a laptop and a couple of clever hackers to type some code and send something".

Kevin Mitnick is considered the "world's most notorious hacker" for attacking 40 major companies, including IBM, Nokia and Motorola, in 1995.

He stole the computer code, estimated by some to cost around $330 million, and spent five years in prison.

Upon his release in 2000, Mitnick said he was "reformed" and now lives under white hat standards - as an ethical security hacker.

The man who was talking to Vice claimed to do this kind of work. "Once upon a time I thought of myself as a black hat and changed into a white hat," he said. "White hats tend to be moral hackers who try to do things to improve the common good and are law-abiding."

But his past adventures have put him in the middle of the dark web's devious antics.

Erdogan: We will witness the test of the first domestic electric locomotive E5000 in 2023

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that this year will witness the beginning of the first home-made E5000 electric locomotive trials. He added, "This year, the trial and certification of the country's first domestic electric locomotive (E5000)".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that this year will witness the beginning of the trials of the first domestically-made "E5000" electric locomotive.

This came in a speech, on Tuesday, during the opening of service projects in the state of Eskisehir.

He explained that they will open today 99 investment operations in Eskisehir, worth 4 billion and 644 million liras (about 244 million dollars).

He pointed out that Eskişehir has contributed $2 billion to the country through boron processing over the past 5 years, saying, "This year, Eskişehir will gain 3 more boron processing facilities with an investment of 501 million liras."

He added, "This year witnesses the trial and certification of the country's first domestic electric locomotive (E5000), after completing the design, production, and installation of the locomotive and its subsystems."

Türkiye fuel was brought to the Akkuyu nuclear plant on April 27

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a television interview that a ceremony will be held to bring fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear plant on April 27, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the ceremony via visual communication.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a ceremony will be held to bring fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear plant on April 27, and that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will participate via videoconference.

This came in an interview conducted by the Turkish channel "TRT" with President Erdogan on Tuesday evening.

Erdogan added, "We will accelerate Turkey's preparations for the establishment of the second nuclear power plant in the new phase."

Erdogan said: "We held talks with China and South Korea (regarding the second nuclear power plant) and as a result we will take steps with the agreement that we will conclude."

And he added, "We will hold a ceremony to bring fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear plant on April 27, and Mr. Putin will participate by videoconference."

"We aim to make the Istanbul financial center among the 10 best centers in the world within 10 years," the Turkish president said.